Hampton's Snowman
by r2roswell
Summary: A Castle family weekend in the Hampton's when it snows. Short story. Family fluff and some of that white stuff.
1. Magic

**Ch. 1: Magic**

"Beckett," Castle whispered, "Beckett, are you awake," he said to his wife who was asleep next to him. He tapped her slightly, "Beckett wake up."

"Why," Beckett answered.

"It's snowing!"

Beckett didn't have to open her eyes to see the childish grin over her husband's face. She could sense it in his tone of voice. Still, she wasn't ready to give him the satisfaction of opening her eyes quite yet.

"Good for the snow."

"Good for the snow?" Castle repeated, "How can you say such a thing? And you said you appreciated the magic of the every day. Beckett, this is your first winter in the Hamptons with us, as a true Castle, there's magic outside. Come on, wake up. Let's go outside!"

Beckett opened one eye slightly and then closed it again after what she saw. "Damn it, you're all ready dressed."

"I'm ready for the snow. Please, Beckett, please!"

"Castle, I haven't even had my coffee yet," she said as she finally opened her eyes.

"No coffee today. Hot chocolate and marshmallows." Castle leaned over his wife and began kissing her shoulder, making his way up to her ear, cheek, nose and then lips. "Come on Beckett. We deserve a snow day. We haven't had a day off like this in forever. We don't have the government on our tail anymore, and we're not on theirs, there's no threat looming over the horizon, no one is out to kill us. We're finally free. And what better way to enjoy that freedom than out in the snow banks? Please, there's magic outside. It would be a waste to the universe if we didn't enjoy it."

Beckett finally smiled and shook her head, "Fine but on one condition."

"Name it."

Beckett brought Castle back down to her, "We enjoy some magic of our own before hitting the frozen tundra."


	2. Hampton Snow

**Ch.2: Hampton Snow**

There morning liaison didn't last too long. Just enough for an in an out, and then a quick shower before the two made their way out to the kitchen.

"Dad woke you up early too, hu," said Alexis as she handed her mom a cup of hot chocolate.

"He did," Beckett said taking a sip from the cup.

It was filled with double chocolate and extra marshmallows. Just the way she had come to like it. The first time Alexis had been the one to make it for her after her apartment had burnt to a crisp and she was left homeless had it not been for the Castle's. She recalled it being the best cup of hot chocolate she had ever tasted.

The coffee, she had associated with Castle but the hot chocolate she had come to associate with Alexis since it was one of the few times they had girl talk, bonding with the daughter when Castle wasn't around.

"Is he always like that when it snows?"

"So you met the man-child that is my son on snow days," Martha said.

"I guess I did," Beckett answered. In times when there had been cases and it had snowed, Beckett had never known Castle to be so carefree about it.

"Well," Martha said raising her glass, "Ye be warned."

"And why is that?"

Castle came out with a new layer of clothing that looked almost military. He took a sip of the chocolate that his daughter offered and then placed it on the counter after which he took Beckett's hand.

"Come on wifey, off to the trenches," Castle said to her.

"What trenches?" Beckett said as she looked back to the two women, hoping for help to which they offered none.

"To build my army of snowmen and then build our fort."

* * *

After about an hour, Castle had constructed an elaborate fort with the snow. He had done most of the work but left Beckett to make snowmen to use as guards, no more than a foot high, except Castle being Castle had gone above and made one that was at least five feet, calling him the general.

Alexis had come out half an hour after they had and began constructing her fort too, one that was nearly as complex.

"Impressive," Castle called out, "Most impressive."

"You have seen nothing yet," Alexis called out.

"Castle," Beckett said to him as she was crouched in their fort, "is this even fair?"

"Oh there is no fair when it comes to snowball fights. Now arm yourself," he said placing a snowball in her gloved hand.

Before he could arm himself, a snowball was flung in their direction. Direct hit on one of the smaller snowmen.

"Hawkeye," Castle said sounding wounded.

"Hawkeye," said Beckett, "really?"

Castle shrugged it off, "That's okay. He always sucked as an Avenger anyways."

Castle began firing.

"Ha you missed," Alexis called out.

Beckett found herself getting into the fun of it though in her case she was playing it weak and deliberately missing her aims.

"Is that the best you've got," Alexis said to her.

"I've got a few moves left," Beckett answered.

"Mind showing them to me later," Castle asked.

"Mind out of my pants, Castle," Beckett said to him, "focus. Divide and conquer. Aim for the snow banks on her left, your right."

"What are you gonna do?"

"Like you said, there is no fair when it comes to snowball fights," she said as she leaned in and placed a long kiss on his lips. When they parted she said, "Ready, fire."

As Castle started pelting out snowballs, throwing Alexis off guard and scrounging to build up a left wall, Beckett leaped from her fox hole of a fort and dashed to her left, making it safely toward Alexis' side of the fort.

Alexis turned; ready to pelt her stepmom with a snowball but Beckett raised her hands up in surrender.

"Figured you could use a hand," she said to her stepdaughter.

Alexis smiled, "Seriously?"

Beckett formed a snowball and threw it directly at Castle. Direct hit.

"Traitor!" Castle called out, remembering that word from the new Star Wars movie he they had gone to see weeks earlier when it came out. He loved TR-8R.

A smile formed on Beckett's lips.

"Nice," said Alexis. "And here I thought your earlier throws were your actual ones."

"Are you kidding," said Beckett, "I'm just getting warmed up," she said as she and Alexis started hurling snowballs Castle's way.

They ducked while Castle tossed some back.

"Where did you learn to throw like that?" Alexis asked.

"My dad loves baseball. He never had a son so he taught me. What about you? You obviously don't throw like your dad."

"Well dads' not too good with sports, except hockey. Figured I should learn a thing or two so I taught myself."

Beckett smiled, "Why doesn't that surprise me."

"You girls give up yet," Castle asked.

"Not a chance," Beckett replied.

"Got a plan," asked Alexis.

Beckett peeked out of their fort, dodging a snowball in the process. She got back out of the line of fire.

"Actually I do," said Beckett, "I think we could do some damage with that big snowman of his. You take shots at his smaller soldiers. I'll go for his general."

Alexis smiled, "Game on!"

The pair began their assault on Castle's army, Alexis going for the small ones that surrounded while Beckett launched fast ball after fast ball at Castle's five foot general. The small ones were eventually defeated so Alexis began her attack on the fort structure. Beckett was making headway with the five-footer. It was starting to weaken.

Castle dove out of the way just as his prized snowman came crashing down, destroying his fort and nearly destroying him in the process.

"Ha, victory," Alexis said as she and Beckett came out of their fort.

"Gort," Castle said as he stood over his snowman and fort which were now piles of snow that looked like nothing more.

Beckett shook her head. Of course he would name it after the imposing robot from 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'.

Castle looked at Beckett, "You owe me a new snowman."

Beckett reached up and placed a kiss on his cheek, "Later. Right now I could use some hot chocolate." Beckett turned to her stepdaughter, "Alexis?"

"Sounds good to me."

The three of them smiled and then made their way inside.


	3. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

The lights in the house were dimmed. The temperature outside had dropped. Beckett now sat in the living room on the couch, the fire going. Martha and Alexis had all ready retired to their rooms so it was just the two of them, Castle coming around with two glasses of wine in hand.

"What are you reading," Castle asked as he placed the glasses on the table in front of them and placed Beckett's legs over his as he sat down.

She looked so peaceful, reading on the couch, completely relaxed.

"Nothing special," Beckett replied though her eyes were a dead giveaway.

Castle reached over and saw the cover. He smiled. "Nothing special hu," he replied. "So I'm sure you haven't been reading page 105 over and over."

"Maybe a few times," Beckett conceded. "I just like to have the reminder."

"The reminder of that sex scene, don't you know it by heart by now?"

Beckett smirked, "Besides that. I like having the reminder of what the book represents. Even though it's fiction, it was practically a love letter and you can't deny that. It's sweet, they all are."

"No denial here."

"It's sweet, they all are," said Beckett. "I like that reminder, of where we started." Beckett placed the book on the table, took a sip of her wine and then repositioned herself so that she was cuddling on Castle's chest.

"Today was fun, Castle. I can't even remember the last time I had this much genuine fun."

"Well you needed this, we all did."

"You're good at that, coming to my rescue and knowing when I need to unwind." She looked up at him, "Thank you," she said as she reached up and kissed him.

Castle smiled, "Always."

The two smiled once more and went back to their kissing, the book and glasses of wine all but forgotten, lost in the heat of the fireplace and the heat of each other as more snow began to fall well into the night.

* * *

 **END.**


End file.
